SMBs Seeing Revenue Boost with AI Search

Sixty-two percent of small businesses have found that artificial intelligence search tools like OpenAI's hatGPT and Google's Gemini boost revenue, yet most still block the AI crawlers behind them, according to new data from research firm Clutch.

As AI reshapes how consumers find businesses, small businesses face both opportunity and risk, the firm said, noting that many small businesses benefit from AI-powered search and chatbots, with 44 percent reporting more leads, 42 percent more website traffic, and 33 percent more inquiries.

For those struggling with traditional search, AI offers new ways to stand out locally, it said further.

Despite referral traffic concerns, small businesses are gaining visibility, suggesting AI search could level the playing field, the firm said.

"For small businesses, AI search is a double-edged sword," said Hannah Hicklen, who oversees tech content at Clutch. "It can drive visibility and growth, but only if companies embrace the technology rather than block it."

Risk remains a major concern. More than half of small businesses block AI crawlers, mainly over content ownership and intellectual property, which 43 percent cited. Others worry about brand misrepresentation, and 16 percent reported unauthorized scraping of proprietary content in the past year.

Bot traffic is also a problem for SMBs, with 71 percent of them experiencing performance issues like slower website speeds and disrupted content.

Many small businesses are balancing visibility and control, Clutch found, noting that more than 60 percent report AI has positively impacted their businesses, however 57 percent still choose to restrict access. Cloudflare's pay-per-crawl model appeals to 68 percent as a way to block scraping and protect content.

Still, 73 percent of SMBs plan to revisit their AI web search policies within the year, but as AI transforms search, small businesses must act or risk falling behind, Clutch recommends.